Apparatus for filling foundry flasks



Sept. 7, 1937. w. F. PIPER APPARATUS FOR FILLING FOUNDRY FLASKS 2Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 18, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 W F PIPER APPARATUSFOR FILLING FOUNDRY FLASKS Filed Oct. 18, 1934 Sept. 7, 193 7.

APPARATUS FOR FILLING FOUNDRY FLASKS Walter F. Piper, Oak Park, 111.,assignor to. The Beardsley & Piper Company, Chicago, 111., a corporationof Illinois Application October 18, 1934,, Serial No. 748,795

6 Claims. (01. 2236) The invention relates generally to apparatusforfilling flasks in making molds for castings. More particularly theinvention relates to that type of apparatus in which wads of sand areFigurev 5. is a rear elevation of the projector casing.

The apparatus which forms the subject matter of the invention comprisesa movable sand ramprojected into the flask by a high speed rotary mine uit- Th la t r d s a r ry p blade to pack or ram the sand with thedesired jector which receives sand from any suitable feed density in theflask. mechanism and is adapted to project wads of One object of theinvention is to provide an sand. The unit also embodies a horizontallypoimproved apparatus of this type which comprises sition'ed electricmotor 14 coaxial with the'proa ramming unit of novel design and improvedjectonand 21 depending tube 9 for delivering P means for suspending theunit so it can be easily jected wads of sand into a subjacent flask onthe shifted to deliver sand into all portions of a und y oo It S s nfrom an Overhead flask. support, as hereinafter described, so theoperator Another object of the invention is to provide can swing theunit to distribute the projected an apparatus of the aforementioned typein which wads of sand to all portions of the flask. The the sand rammingunit comprises a casing into projector hasa casing 10 which consists ofan one side of which the sand is delivered, a rotary integral peripheralwall M, an outer side wall l2 projector blade in the casing, and anelectric moand a removable side plate i3 Which C s ut tor for drivingthe propeller which is located at a removable W ll at e other S de. Themot r the other side of the casing where it can be I14, is arranged sothat its axis is coaxial with the secured directly tothe casing so theramming casing, and is fixedly and directly secured to the unit will: becompact, light in weight and easily outer side wall l2 of the casing bybolts l5; The shiftable by the operator to fill flasks withoutarmatureshaft i of h motor x n s hr u fatiguing the operator. thersidewall l2 and into the casing H). A pro- Another object of the inventionis to provide jeCtO b ade is ure to a h ad is W h is simple means forpivotally suspending the ramsecured by screws IE! to a hub 20. The hub20 and mingunit so it can be swung universally to direct head "3 a k y dt0 the S a t- 6 So as to be the wads of sand into all portions of aflask. driven directly by the motor 14. An inlet 2! A further object ofthe invention is to provide hr gh whi h the sa n r h a i i a. supportfrom which the ramming unit is pivformed in the side plate [3; A hopper22 for diotally suspended to permit the operator to direct recting thesand to the inlet 21 is secured to the the wads of sand into allportions of a flask, p1atel3. The sand entering the casing falls intowith means whereby the support may be shifted the lower portion thereofand intothe path of the laterally to bring the ramming unit intoposition pr je plate The head iS rotated at a successively to filladjacent flasks on a foundry speed ranging from .1200 to 1800revolutions per floor. minute and is of such size that the blade will Astill further object of the invention is the have a speed ofapproximately 5000 to 7000 feet provision of replaceableperipheral andside liners p minute- During rotation of the head, the for the rammingunit of the apparatus. blade engages the sand in the lower portion ofOther objects of the invention and the various th casing 0 and tcentrifugal force and nadvantages and characteristics of the presentclinationL of the blade cause the Band- Picked p flask filling apparatuswill be apparent from a during each revolution to be packed into a wadconsideration of the following detailed descriph h Carried around the pof the C s tion. and then discharged through an outlet 23 in the Theinvention consists in the several novel P ph Wail H of the casing- ACharacterfeatures which are hereinafter set forth and are of a lg hg f th s that title sand is t eivere in 0 one si e o e pro ec or-casmg flydefined by claims at the can and the shaft for driving the blade 11extends In which form a that :2? strippers t 0f.th1s speclfilca'tlfon ordlsclgsuri and m rectly on the casing. In rotary projectors, as Whlch,hke numera S 0 reference heretofore constructed, the sand was deliveredspending parts throughollt the Several Vlewsinto the casing and thedrive shaft for the blade Figure 1 1s a side elevation of an apparatusemthrough the Same Side of the projector which 5.5 bodymg the mventmnnecessitated placing the motor some distance from Figure 2 is a. frontview, the casing. In projectors which are movable Figure 3 is atransverse Sect on through the over the flasks, a desideratum is toreduce the 1 sand projector, weight of the ramming unit and to make itas t Figure 4 is a section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3, compactaspossible, and the present construction and attains this advantage.

To provide for the wear which results from the movement of the sandaround the casing, a removable peripheral liner 24 is clamped in thecasing between a shoulder 25 at the inner or lower side of the outlet 23and a hook bolt 26 at the upper and outer portion of said outlet 23. Theliner 24 coacts with the blade in forming the sand into wads andconducting them to the outlet 23. The blade I! rotates between an outerliner ring 2'! and an inner liner ring 28. These rings fit inside of theperipheral wall II of the casing and. lap the sides of the peripheralliner 24. The ring 21 has an annular shoulder 29 abutting against ashoulder 30 on the outer side wall I2 of the casing, and the ring 28 hasan annular shoulder which abuts against the side plate I3 of the casing.Said side plate serves to clamp the peripheral liner and the rings 21,28 together and in the casing to secure them against relativelongitudinal movement. It is hinged at one side, as at 32, to the casingI0 and at its other side is secured to the casing by a bolt 33. As shownin the drawings the head I3 is spaced sufficiently from the inner end ofthe peripheral wall II of r the casing so that the pressure applied tosaid head by the bolt I3 will clamp the liners 21, 28 and the liner 24in the casing. This exemplifies a projector casing with peripheral andside liners which can be easily removed and replaced.

The inner face of the head I8 extends from the outer side of the casingto a point beyond the longitudinal center of the blade I'I.. Said bladeis attached to the head only at its outer side. Radial ribs 34 areformed on the outer face of the head I 8. The space between these ribsis diametrically opposite to the blade I I and is filled, as at 35, withsuit-able metal, such as lead, to counterbalance the blade. The purposeof extending the inner portion of the head I8 inwardly from the outsideof the casing is to provide a space for the counterweight 35 at thelongitudinal center of the blade I I to balance the blade againstlongitudinal vibration. The inner face of the head I8 between itscentral portion and its rim is curved to direct some of the sand to theouter side of the casing. The outer periphery of the head is grooved soas to lap the inner edge and inner face of the ring 2'! and prevent sandfrom escaping from the casing. An opening 36 is formed in the lowerportion of the casing wall I2 to permit any sand which may work its waybetween the head I8 and ring 2? to escape.

Another feature of the invention consists in providing suspension meansfor the ramming unit to permit the operator to swing or tilt it todirect the wads of sand into all portions of a flask. For this purposethe unit is pivotally suspended at a point sufliciently high to make itpossible to distribute the wads in the flask without varying the angleof delivery sufficiently to cause the wads to skid or slide in theflask. The ramming unit is supported above the normal reach of theoperator and the delivery tube 9 is secured to the casing Ill so that itis in communication with the tangential outlet 23 through which the wadsare discharged by the projector blade. This tube is secured by bolts 31to said casing and is of sufficient length to conduct the wads to apoint adjacent the flask. As shown in the drawings the tube is fixed tothe casing so that its axis, with respect to the direction of dischargeof the wads, will not be changed when the ramming unit is tilted. Ahandle 38 is fixed to the tube 9 so the operator can conveniently swingthe ramming unit over the flask to direct the wads into all portionsthereof. An arm 39 serves as an overhead support for the ramming unit.The suspension device for the ramming unit consists of a universaljoint. The latter comprises a bracket 49 which is bolted to the arm 39and is provided at its lower end with a fork in which studs 4I arepivotally mounted. These studs extend into a member 42 which is providedwith studs 43 at right angles to the studs M. The studs 43 are mountedin the forked end of a bracket 44, which is secured to the casing of themotor I4 by bolts 45. Slots are provided in the bracket 44 to permit theramming unit to be adjusted longitudinally so that it will belongitudinally balanced under the universal joint. This exemplifies anoverhead support and a pivotal suspension which permits the entireramming unit with its delivery tube 9 to be freely swung about a pointsufficiently high so that the angle of delivery of the wads is notsufliciently oblique to cause them to skid in the flask and to fill allportions of the flask.

In operating the ramming unit to flll a flask, the operator will graspthe handle 38 and swing the ramming unit so its lower end can be movedover the entire flask to fill all portions thereof. The universalpivotal suspension permits the operator to swing freely the entireramming unit so as to move the lower end of the tube 9 in any desireddirection.

The arm 39 is fixedly secured to a vertical rod 46 which is pivotallymounted in brackets 41. A suitable brace 43 is provided between theupper portion of the rod 46 and the outer end of the arm 39. The purposein mounting the universal suspension device for the ramming unit on thearm 39 which is free to swing laterally is to permit the entire unit tobe shifted from one flask to another and so that the filled flask can beremoved and replaced with an empty flask while the other is beingrammed. A handle 5I is secured to the arm 39 and depends therefrom to apoint within the reach of the operator to permit the arm and rammingunit to be moved laterally from one flask to another.

Any suitable means may be provided to feed sand to the hopper 22 of theramming unit, such as an overhead tank 49 containing a supply of sandand an endless belt 59 at the bottom of the tank which is continuouslyoperated to discharge sand from one end of the tank into said hopper.The arm 39 is supported from the supporting structure for the tank 49.

The invention exemplifies a ramming unit comprising a coaxial rotaryprojector and motor and a depending delivery tube, in which the sand isfed to one side of the projector casing and the motor is secureddirectly on the other side to provide a compact unit which is light inweight, simple in construction, and can be readily moved by the operatorto fill all portions of the flask. Also, a ramming unit of this typewhich is pivotally suspended from an overhead support to swing about apoint which will permit the unit with the delivery tube to be swung tofill all portions of a flask without suflicient inclination to cause thewads to skid or slide in the flask. Also, a ramming unit which is simplein construction and can be produced at a low cost.

The invention is not to be understood as restricted to the details setforth, since these may be modified within the scope of the appendedclaims, without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination of a sandprojector comprising a substantially cylindrical casing with an inlet inone side thereof for sand and a peripheral downwardly directed outlet,and also comprising a rotatable blade in the casing for projecting wadsof sand downwardly through the outlet, an electric motor disposedimmediately adjacent and connected to the other side of the casing, ashaft extending from the motor through said other side and into thecasing for driving the blade from said motor, an elongated rigiddelivery tube secured to and depending from the casing for deliveringthe wads of sand from the outlet into a flask beneath the projector, anoverhead support, and means for movably suspending the assembly ofprojector, motor and tube from the support so it can swing universallyto a limited extent andthus eifect discharge into all portions of theflask.

2. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination of a sandprojector comprising a casing and a bladerotatable in the casing andadapted to project wads of sand, said casing being provided with adownwardly directed peripheral outlet for the wads and an inlet for sandin one of its sides, an electric motor located outside of andimmediately adjacent to the other side of the casing and having thehousing thereof attached directly to said other side of the casing, ashaft extending from the motor through said other side and into thecasing for driving the blade from said motor, a rotatable comparativelynarrow disk-like head fixed on the shaft adjacent said other side of thecasing and spaced from the inlet side, said blade extending from saidhead across the inside of the casing, a rigid comparatively longdelivery tube secured to and depending from the casing for deliveringthe wads from the casing outlet, into a subjacent flask, and means formovably supporting the assembly of projector, motor and tube from aboveso the operator of the apparatus can swing the assembly and effectdischarge of the wads from the projector into all portions of the flask.

3. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination of a sandprojector comprising a substantially cylindrical casing and a bladerotatable in the casing for projecting wads of sand, said casing beingprovided with a peripheral, downwardly directed outlet for the wads andan inlet for sand, an electric motor secured directly to one side of,and coaxial with, the casing, a shaft extending from the motor into thecasing and connected to drive the blade from the motor, an elongateddelivery tube rigid with and depending from the outlet portion of thecasing, an overhead support, and a universal joint between the supportand the motor housing for supporting the assembly of projector and motorso the operator can swing it by manipulation of the tube and effectdischarge of the wads via said tube into all portions of a subjacentflask.

4. In a projector, the combination of a substantially cylindrical casingprovided with an inletin one side thereof for sand and having aperipheral outlet, a rotatable blade in the casing for forming the sandentering-the casing via the inlet into wads and projecting the wadsthrough the outlet,

a strip formed peripheral liner disposed in the casing and around thepath of the blade and having the ends thereof terminating adjacent tothe outlet, an arcuate liner fitting against one side of the peripheralliner and against said one side of the casing and adapted to have thesand pass thereacross from the inlet into the path of the blade, anarcuate liner fitting against the other side of the peripheral liner andthe other side of the casing, a drive shaft extending through said otherside of the casing and also through the space defined by the'inner edgeof said second liner, and a comparatively narrow disk-like head to whichthe blade is attached, mounted on the shaft adjacent to said secondliner and in spaced relation with respect to the first mentioned linerand having an annular groove in the periphery thereof for receiving andforming a lap joint with the inner margin of said second liner.

5. In a projector of the character described, the combination of asubstantially cylindrical casing provided with a sand inlet in one sidethereof and having a peripheral downwardly directed outlet, a rotatableblade in the casing for forming the sand entering the casing via theinlet into wads and projecting the latter through the outlet, a

strip formed peripheral liner disposed in the cas- 1 ing and around thepath of the blade and having the ends thereof terminating adjacent tothe outlet, an arcuate liner fitting between the other side of thecasing and the contiguous side of the peripheral liner, a drive shaftextending through said other side of the casing and also through thespace defined by the inner edge of said arcuate liner, a comparativelynarrow disk-like head to which the blade is attached, mounted on theshaft adjacent to the inner face of said arcuate liner and in spacedrelation with respect to said one side of the casing and having themargin thereof in lapped relation with the inner margin of said arcuateliner, and means associated with the bottom portion of said other sideof the casing forming an opening through the latter for permitting sandaccumulating between said other side of the casing and the arcuate linerto be discharged from the casing.

6. In a projector of the character described, the combination of asubstantially cylindrical casing provided with an inlet for sand andcomprising a peripheral wall with an outlet, a side wall fixedlyconnected to one end of the peripheral wall, and a separately formedside plate positioned against the other end of the peripheral wall andforming the other side wall of the casing, a rotatable blade in thecasing for forming the sand entering the casing via the inlet into wadsand projecting the wads through the outlet, a strip formed peripheralliner disposed in the casing and around the path of the blade and havingthe ends thereof terminating adjacent to the outlet, arcuate linersdisposed in the casing at the sides of the blade and fitting against thesides of the peripheral liner, a drive shaft extending through thefixedly connected side wall of the casing and one of the arcuate linersand connected to rotate the blade, and releasablemeans for holding theside plate in its operative position and so that it jams or clamps thethree liners together and against the fixedly connected side wall andholds them in place.

WALTER F. PIPER.

